One of several national baseball writers who is here tonight just asked me for the last time Washington played in a series as big as this one. My answer: 1945, the last time the Senators were in a pennant race (they finished 1 1/2 games behind the Tigers for the AL title).

Yes, it's been awhile since D.C. has hosted anything along these lines, with the first-place Nationals trying to hold off the second-place Braves over the next three nights and perhaps extend their five-game lead to even greater numbers.

We've got a great pitching matchup to kick this series off: Jordan Zimmermann starts for the Nats against Braves ace Tim Hudson. All the healthy regulars are in both teams' lineups. All that's left to do is play the games.

The Braves will give it all they've got. They may even have been looking past the Dodgers to this series, and saw themselves slip another notch. Chipper is their emotional trump card. They will do everything they can not to let him down.Our guys are ready. JZ is always ready. While the offense is young, they are tough, too. The kid is as tough as anyone else out there. They will give the Braves all they can handle.It's for games like this that Rizzo signed Werth to go with Zim. ALR is Mr. Cool at all times. An effective mix of youth and exuberance with experience and savvy.Bring it on.

NCNatsie said… pRAA, I don't see how they could screw a team that tied for its division championship in favaor of a team that finished a potentially distant second in theirs. The thorny problem is when and where would be the game be played.Some people are already pondering such scenarios.

Did the national media also ask about the shu – never mind – don't want to hear it if they did. :-)I think we want Chipper with the o, Gonat, as in oh-fer. (Hey, a gal can dream.)Go, Jordan! Go, NATS!!Oh, and stay classy, Doc.

NatsLady "Laddie, put some further thoughts back on the "Harper's continuing" thread. Hope it helps, hope there is a "next time."I did go back and have copied the whole thread to a PDF file I stored in my "Documents" folder. Many thanks to both you and Z-Mantis. Anyone else who has the responsibility for assisting an older or physically impaired relative or friend should do the same.

Wonk, sorry I didn't give you credit for your answer. I just wondered if there was an actual rule, and I'm more and more becoming convinced there isn't, that Bud and the boys just hoped it wouldn't happen. Hopefully they're right.The guys on TV (or radio? perhaps even it was Charlie and Dave) were certainly discussing it as if there were an explicit rule. Because they were phrasing it as: "and there's even a way that there could be two single game playoffs on consecutive days", and went on to describe the scenario that you were talking about. (I see the same thing at the ESPN link cited above. I.e., the questioner presumes the answer already — which is why, again, I'm sure there is already a rule on this. And no matter what we think of Bud — I'm sure it a bunch of stat guys were involved in crafting the wording, and I'm sure they thought of it)

Nats Lady, thanks for all the accessibility tips. I'm taking my 90 year old mother to her first Nats game vs the Cards on the Sept 1 afternoon game, and am planning to spring for the $25 Yards parking across the street from the park, and to ask before then about access via the underground ramp to our seats (which are at the bottom of sec 135, with a bathroom just up the ramp). She can do a few steps and we'll plan to put her walker on the back wall of the ramp and hope the weather is good. Or get the ADA seats at the back of the section under cover if it's not.

Will be leaving soon. Should be a great pitching match-up. Hope our lads have their hitting shoes on. Would love to see Bryce continue his hot streak. The more I look at this lineup the more excited I get. Werth & Harper look at lots of pitches, draw walks if they are given and set the table for our next 3. If Desmond can just get back to where he was before the injury and Danny keeps improving we really have a tough 1-7. Suzuki is struggling but even that could change. As I look though, Atlanta is just as strong. This should be a great series. Does anyone know when their rookie SS comes off the dl? He was a difference maker for them.Go Nats!!

NatsJack said it best: "Davey in playoff mode."Probably the most meaningful August game played in Washington since, oh, well, 1933. You guys remember that year, right?Heading out now. I've got goosebumps already.Fredi, you and your Barves have no idea what buzzsaw you're running into here.GYFNG!!

Fascinating comment by Boz about Davey and Eckstein:Davey Johnson (again) said for a year "This should be a very good offense." It's developed almost exactly as he expected.But, and he didn't say this at the time but has acknowledged it recently, he had to change the organization's hitting "philosophy" from "let the bals travel" and hit a lot to the opposite field __which he absolutely hates and thinks is discredited and ridciulous__ into "hit the ball where it is pitched…get the bat head out…DRIVE the ball (to all fields)."Espinosa, for one, feels like he's been released from a straight jacket. It took him a while. He and Desmond are among the Davey projects. As I've said, Eckstein is excellent and can teach whatever you want taught. But it's not his job to set organizational philosophy.It never occurred to be before that _Eckstein_ was told a hitting philosophy to teach, rather than the other way around. But that was Boz is saying here.Thoughts?

Wonk, sounds like a bunch of hogwash to me. Who was setting the organization's "hitting philosophy"? Riggleman? Rizzo? Kasten? Ted Lerner? Was that philosophy followed throughout the organization? For how long? Did Acta have one too? Assuming there was such a thing, did Davey change it? When? When did he become aware of it and why didn't he stamp it out the minute he was in charge? Did he know about it before he took over? Why didn't he say something? Did Eckstein think it was a good idea? Does he have no underlying philosophy or approach, so whatever a manager says is the philosophy he will blindly teach even if he thinks its garbage?So we're supposed to believe that players followed a hitting philosophy dictated by Riggleman or someone else, and taught by Eckstein, and then Eckstein changed on instructiions from Davey, and it took a whole season for the new philosophy to take hold. Fun yarn for Davey to spin, but I'm not buying it. Too many holes and unanswered questions.

DC Wonk, philosophies evolve over time. Having Michael Morse back is huge for this team. The fear of 400 ft HRs was generally missing and pitchers had the ability to back Nats batters into pitching outside to go oppo and taking their chances.Now the batters and especially Werth can fit into more traditional roles while also working to each players strengths like Espi and Desi.The stats prove out what Morse has meant to the team production.

222 — I'd agree with you — except that we also know that Davey is a big supporter of Eckstein. So, we have the conflicting notions that: (a) Davey changed the hitting philosophy; and (b) he supports Eckstein.The obvious question is: why does/did he support Eckstein if he disagreed completely with Eck's approach. The only answer that makes sense is that it wasn't Eck's approach.But what you say makes sense, too.Which is why I'm confused.

Werth & Harper look at lots of pitches, draw walks if they are given and set the table for our next 3.Indeed. And the stats back that up: Werth takes more pitches than anyone else. Harper is 2d on the team in walks.

faraz – hudson has been pitching out of his mind lately. This won't be easy. But then, sometimes it seems like the Nats have trouble with young pitchers who have just come up and then they hit the pitchers with big reps. It's odd.

swami….Desi is going to be a "hole" in the lineup until he starts hitting and he won't start hitting sitting on the bench watching Lombo. And he won't start hitting against the AA and AAA guys.Davey knows what he's doing. Lombo did his job as a super sub filling in when Desi was out.

A DC Wonk said…222 — I'd agree with you — except that we also know that Davey is a big supporter of Eckstein. So, we have the conflicting notions that: (a) Davey changed the hitting philosophy; and (b) he supports Eckstein. The obvious question is: why does/did he support Eckstein if he disagreed completely with Eck's approach. The only answer that makes sense is that it wasn't Eck's approach.Um, another answer that makes sense might be along the lines that these guys are human beings, not computers, and when presented with unexpected data, they change their minds and adapt to the new situation, rather than going to ABEND (ABnormal END – i.e., program crash to you non-IT types).

Davey knows what he's doing. Lombo did his job as a super sub filling in when Desi was out.And Davey got Lombardozzi the 300+ at bats that he promised the FO he would ensure he received this season as the supersub. So, everyone except perhaps for Lombo is happy. Clearly Lombo won't be unhappy playing for a winning team.

It never occurred to be before that _Eckstein_ was told a hitting philosophy to teach, rather than the other way around. But that was Boz is saying here.Davey said the same thing during a live interview and you can view it via the MASN web site.Thoughts? Smart ball, small mind, Giggleman's Island. Glad its back in Florida in Blue Wahoo land.Shall I repost the verse I made for it that created such a fuss?

Hudson is a very good pitcher, and he's been pitching well lately. For me, this is the house money game. If we lose, we have Stras tomorrow and the lefty Det on Wednesday so can still win the series. If we lose, we will demoralize the Braves by beating their ace.

peric – how long will everyone stay happy if Desi doesn't start hitting and Lombo is riding the pine? Will Lombo really be the only unhappy person? ( By the way, he doesn't seem like a whiner at all).I thought winning was supposed to come first at this point of the season. Desi was our mvp before the DL stint. Can he do the job today? Don't get me wrong – I love the guy and have for a long time, but can you rehab in the line up during a pennant race? I hope he gets that first hit out of the way in his first ab – facing Hudson, no less. How many ab's can it go, though? If the rest of the line up can carry him until he finds his stroke, then ok. Seems like there might be a little tick tock tick tock on this one. Cheering for the guy for his sake and for the sake of the entire team. Hope it happens very soon.

The boys won't be taking Hudson lightly, they know what he is capable of.I just want to crush the Braves tonight. Tired of their fans (not the team) taking the Nats lightly and saying we will crash because we don't know how to win. I then remind them of last September and oh only winning 1 series in say 15 years. Sorry, Braves fans are almost as bad as Philly fans.

Swami, deep breathes buddy. This is a TEAM. Everyone is pulling for each other. I am sure Davey will get Lombo at bats. He just needs to take some time to get Desi going. He can afford to do that with Werth/Morse/Espi/RZ hitting. Plus Jordan and Stras can hit.They are all happy to be playing for a winning team (you know we have one here in DC!!!!!)

To me the term "organizational philosophy" would indicate a broader focus, as in throughout the MLB team and its affiliates vs. referring to the MLB team only. But that's spoken as an editorial type rather than as a journalist, an FO type, or a mind reader type. The person who would know what Boz is saying is probably Boz. The rest of us can only guess. :-)A DC Wonk said…But it's not his job to set organizational philosophy.It never occurred to be before that _Eckstein_ was told a hitting philosophy to teach, rather than the other way around. But that was Boz is saying here.Thoughts?

MLB hitting coaches usually don't have the role of setting the "Organizational Philosophy"…if there even is one, that's the role of player development guys and upper management….At any rate, it's not like Eck showed up with a 700 page playbook like an NFL OC…

Can't stand that chop thing but are we talking about a subset of Braves fans, i.e., Braves fans on the Twittah? Because I would submit that they represent only a segment of Braves fans. I'm sure that there are some perfectly nice Braves fans (well, until they start doing that chop thing). Just a thought. Also, maybe they're talking smack because they're scared of the Nats. That's kinda cool, if so. :-)MicheleS said… The boys won't be taking Hudson lightly, they know what he is capable of. I just want to crush the Braves tonight. Tired of their fans (not the team) taking the Nats lightly and saying we will crash because we don't know how to win. I then remind them of last September and oh only winning 1 series in say 15 years. Sorry, Braves fans are almost as bad as Philly fans. August 20, 2012 6:09 PM

222, Eck is not the boss when it comes to hitting philosophy, and never has been. He's like a teacher in a school, he operates under the principal's auspices not as a freelancer. The organization (FO, manager, player development guys) determines the hitting policy and Eck is capable of teaching whatever way they want. Davey has said as much. It's probably the case that before Davey was manager the org's policy was either incoherent or inconsistent. Riggleman was known to brag about how he didn't know nothin' 'bout pitching and norhin' 'bout hitting. He clearly had no input into hitting philosophy, so Eck was probably taking direction from many sources and trying to sort it all out. Davey is not like that. He has taken charge and put his own stamp on it. But it's not an overnight process. Takes a while to filter down to the play on the field.

In other news, over the new few days, I dearly hope to see lots of Braves players having the type of demeanor evidenced by Mr. Freddie Freeman in the pic topping the thread headlined "Nats have a chance to bury the Braves."

Michele, most of what we already know, very nicely encapsulated. In particular, that if Rizzo reversed course at this point it would put the lie to his whole career as a scout and general manager. Mentioned Giolito. Agreed that he was surprised at the amount of hate and venom spewed by outsiders at the Nats, said the fans and media here know what is being built.Explained about the "fallback plan" (Lannan, etc.); reminded everyone that in the spring we had more starters than we knew what to do with (before injury to CMW) and Rizzo planned all along for the shutdown by having "reserves."Then he went on about Gio and especially JZ… I assume a link will be up soon.

Okay, I have a Nats jacket (old, pre-curly-W logo), a few t shirts from giveaways. Cunegonde has an old-style jersey with her last name stitched on the back over the number 7 (she liked Pudge), and we both have a blue alternate home jersey (with the stars and stripes curly W).But we don't have a single red jersey between us, and since we've already put down our $$$ for playoff tix, we need to step up. Nats Park has to be a sea of red in October.

Candide, I stepped up and bought a Harper/Blue Stars and Stripes Jersey. I plan on wearing it in St Louis at the end of September, since they all wear red. I have the Werth/Espinosa Jerseys for home games

MicheleS said…I just want to crush the Braves tonight.Guy at my gym has tix. Told me he hopes it'll be a good game.I told him I hope it's a lousy game, where the Nats jump out to an 8-0 lead in the first inning, then slowly pull away.

peric – how long will everyone stay happy if Desi doesn't start hitting and Lombo is riding the pine? Will Lombo really be the only unhappy person? ( By the way, he doesn't seem like a whiner at all).I thought winning was supposed to come first at this point of the season. Desi was our mvp before the DL stint. Can he do the job today?It isn't as if Desmond is Chipper Jones been there done that like Jayson Werth. Like Lombo he is still developing and just now coming into his own before the injury. Now he's back.Lombo is supposed to be somewhat unhappy … just like Tyler Moore … a guy geared up to be a starter is never happy on the bench. And both of those players have always started. But neither player is a "whiner". They are both hard workers and will hopefully keep pushing the envelope.

Why, that whippersnapper! Humph! :-)MicheleS said… Okay.. we need to look out for Dan Kolko of MASN.. Dan Kolko‏@masnKolko Here you go… RT @NFA_Brian: @masnKolko $5 if you put a 'kick me' sign on Mark http://pic.twitter.com/djphn04Q He just put a "Kick Me Sign on Mark" LOOK OUT MARK!!! August 20, 2012 6:48 PM

Absolutely – I don't think I have ever known a team that is so full of unselfish players. Only point I was trying to make is that if you are in a pennant race, how long can you wait for someone to rehab in the games? And also – sitting a hot hitter for a long time just seems like a waste of some people on bases that could be potential runs. I mean, loyalty is one thing, but it's not a charity out there when it's almost September.

At our elementary you had to memorize states and capitals and write them over and over if you misbehaved. My younger bro is a whiz at them, fwiw. :-)Speaking of family and totally OT, just as my first paragraph was, RIP Phyllis Diller. One of my mom's faves and a gal with a great, booming laugh, which my mom had as well. Perhaps they're entertaining each other somewhere now. I can almost hear them.

Michele- thanks for the link. I have become quite attached to our awesome rookies. Not surprised they are working so hard . I know Desi is "the guy" but have been concerned with the zero rehab starts and having to get timing back at this point of the season. Go Desi! But how lucky have we been with this rookie class???

I'm not sure Hudson saw that ball very well; it almost looked like he got his hand on it accidentally, not trying to catch it. But it does seem every time the Nats hit a ball off the pitcher, it goes straight to a fielder.

baseballswami said…Absolutely – I don't think I have ever known a team that is so full of unselfish players. Only point I was trying to make is that if you are in a pennant race, how long can you wait for someone to rehab in the games? And also – sitting a hot hitter for a long time just seems like a waste of some people on bases that could be potential runs. I mean, loyalty is one thing, but it's not a charity out there when it's almost September.August 20, 2012 7:20 PM———————-Desi's the starter. Lombo's the utility guy. They both know this. The whole team knows this. Wanna kill the Chemistry? Start messing with what everybody "knows"… It's not how Davey plays…. Haven't you been watching?

And **THAT's** why Davey played Desi all weekend. Sure, it was re-hab. But it was re-hab in a hurry, so that he'd be ready for the Braves. (And Davey probably also guestimated that against the Mets he could afford going 0-for-11 — if it helped him get ready for the Braves).

Only point I was trying to make is that if you are in a pennant race, how long can you wait for someone to rehab in the games?Well, drats, I didn't get to answer this before the HR, but (I promise!) I _would_ have answered:Given how solid Desi has been all year, and the end of last year, I'm sure it won't take long, and all will be fine.

It was never Desi vs Lombo. It was Desi doing no rehab starts. Trust me – no one is happier about Desi hitting than I am.I get it. My point only was, Davey was probably thinking: "Hey — it's against the Mets — let's do the rehab up here, hopefully speed up the process, and see if he's ready for the Braves"

Question – is Jordan on his regular five days or more? Seems like he is always too strong on extra rest and doesn't pitch well. Hope he settles down. 45 pitches should make him tired enough for the ball to sink. We always think of him as being so stoic, but he has not been in this spot before – maybe with the rain delay he is a little amped up. So he is human after all.

Doc said… Is KSuk dating Rizzo's daughter?1. Don't use bad names against our Natsies.2. He's here as a catcher, not a hitter. That was a pretty darn good play throw out Heyward (and help end that inning).BTW — what the heck was Heyward thinking? (Where was he going? Trying to steal third, with a lefty up and JZ stuggling?

no lie, Desi up, I'm thinking "ok Desi, where's that 2-out slugger…" but didn't even finish the THOUGHT, much less a post before he showed me where he was. Am I allowed to say woo hoo before the end of the game?

In the irony department — after all the talk about how Werth and Harper see so many pitches, and take so many walks . . . in the bottom of the first they tied the game, on a double and a single, in the first four pitches of the game.

NatsNut said…Am I allowed to say woo hoo before the end of the game? I was sorely tempted. I suspect as long as you don't add "(copyright 2012 MicheleS)" after it, you should be okay, but you should check first as a courtesy…

Um.. NatsNut.. the WH word should be used sparingly.. Like wins or the birth of a new Nats fan.. just sayin, don't want to diffuse it's overall power. So maybe we can come up with a new in game scream for good stuff?

Rain Delay Question;Yesteraday Gio Had control problems. Davey mentioned that he had warmed up at 12:30 and again at 3 and felt that impacted him.Is Jordan having the same problem with the rain delay? Would he have warmedup early and sat there with the delay?

MicheleS said… OY.. those walks always come back to bite you. August 20, 2012 9:10 PM ___________________________Lead-off walks do. That was with 1 out and keep in mind he threw that fastball clearly that was a strike that was called a ball.

Fear and Ignorance said… Why would you pitch to a #8 hitter with 2 outs and runners on 2nd and 3rd. I don't get it. Janish sucks, but he is still a better hitter than Hudson. August 20, 2012 9:12 PM _______________________________Come on. That is a play Danny has to make. End of story.

OK, Jordan gave up his two. Time for him to go seven, for the Nats bats to remind Timmy of his swollen non-glove comebacker-catching hand, and our pen to shut the Barves down. GYFNG!!! (Isn't that already our in-game chant?)

I see the official scorer didn't learn his lesson. That was a much easier play than Morse's hit that turned into an error. Janish should have been on, on an error. J Zim needs to get his agent to complain that is unearned run with the error.JZim same problem as Gio yesterday, way too many pitches per inning. Wish these guys could cut the number down, as our bullpen is eay overused.

I had the same question as F&I.One reason I could think of is that wanting to start next inning with an out. Not sure if it makes sense, but Janish is not exactly league average hitter so you expect him to make an out and then next inning starts with the pitcher hitting so that provides greater likelihood of starting an inning on a right foot.Anyways, glad JZ decided to trust his stuff and went with it. Only if Danny could make that play. Still leading 4-2.

ehay2k said… Was that not where Zuki was set up? Or did I miss something? In any case, Zimnn is probably done after this inning. Would be nice if we could get him the win. August 20, 2012 9:27 PM ________________________________Set in a little more. Like I said where has the strategy been to work them outside.

Lettin them back in. Not good.Our hitters better get back on the stick. 4 in the first inning and 1 since. Desi's second at bat could have beem a big one had it been a few few feet to the left, but it wasn;'t. So time to concentrate again.

I don't understand why they aren't pounding the outside?Either 1) he's trying to, and missing; or 2) he doesn't trust his control, and doesn't want to be wild over the plate (again) at that height. Just my guess. Either that, or they weren't planning on pitching those particular hitters that way.

The Z-Mantis! said… Indeed, Gonat. E4, I thought.Is it me, or has there been an inordinate number of outs in the air tonight? August 20, 2012 9:44 PM ____________________________Too many by the visitors.

Is it me, or has there been an inordinate number of outs in the air tonight?____________________________Too many by the visitors. Exactly 2 in every inning except the first, when Freeman made one on the bases. That's 11 in the air, 2 Ks and a sac bunt, out of 18 so far. These guys are hacking.

Off-topic, belated response that Original Nats Fan probably won't even see: enough people were typing preying that I figured they weren't all jokes. Should have said I wasn't aiming my correction at you.More on-topic: Dagnabbit!

Gee whiz Espi looked like early season Espit agian. He was pitched 5 balls and swung at three of them, the walk would load the bases with0 outs. That is what he was doing early in the season.Shark then resorts to April ball too. Swing at 2 balls (would have been a 3-0 count, and doesn;t even think about swinging at one right down the middle.Come on guys this reverting to bad habits.

21,000 for a game like this is a travesty. By the time this one is over, that will be down to about 10,000. I guess 3rd Eye Blind (circa 2012) is a bigger draw than this baseball team. Really makes me sick. There are more people watching the Brewers vs. Cubs in Milwaukee and Rockies vs. Mets in NY. This is not a baseball town. Redskins will always rule the roost around here and that is why they get all the press on the radio and in the paper. People still aren't paying attention to this team, and probably never will unless it is a Saturday night. Not talking about NI fans, I know you guys actually care.

Even without the desired result, great at-bat by Werth in that situation.When I came to the plate, I thought to myself "Man, im glad it's Werth in this situation".Regardless of how this game ends, can you imagine thinking/saying that last year?!

Not that Izturis would have hit better, but TyMo should have gone down and gotten AB's… It's really hard for a young hitter to come off the bench, and Davey's not going to let him play instead of LaRoche or Morse.

NatsLady said… Not that Izturis would have hit better, but TyMo should have gone down and gotten AB's… It's really hard for a young hitter to come off the bench, and Davey's not going to let him play instead of LaRoche or Morse. August 20, 2012 11:07 PM __________________________________Davey earlier in the year in a similar situation with a LHP on the mound put in Chad Tracy and he got a hit.That was TyMo's opportunity.

Gonat said… This will set up Bryce Harper, Ryan Zimmerman, and Michael Morse. Who wants to be the hero?Zim is due a Mr. Walk-Off moment in the biggest game of the year! August 20, 2012 11:09 PM __________________________________Morse is due for a walk-off of his own!

Sometimes Dave Johnson is a complete idiot. Tonight is one of those nights. Davey is an absolute Master in the clubhouse.Too bad that doesn't transfer to the management of a game. Tonight, Davey has been brain dead.

Make no mistake about it: the Nats best run of the last 8 years happened when there was no Desmond. What did they go, 19-6? So Desi comes back — starts booting the ball, dropping other balls, going 1-14. We bench perhaps the hottest hitter we had in Lombo. Lombo pinch hits and voila: basehit. Again, Davey is a genuis in the clubhouse and can be quite the Village Idiot when running a game and making out a lineup. Didn't Davey just give Harper the night off when it was apparent to ALL that the kid finally had broken his slump? Davey is a field idiot.

Tonight, Davey has been brain dead. I don't agree, my comment just now notwithstanding. His bullpen management, for instance, has worked fine. It's not his fault if they swing at [stuff] they couldn't hit with a broom, on the first pitch.

Oh yeah, right .. 'his bullpen management has been fine." Davey is gambling on scoring that lone run in the bottom half — he has one pitcher left. If the game goes 13 or 14, Davey has willingly given the game away. Great bullpen management.

I do wish they'd get Lombo more time — I know Desi hits the long ball, but IMO Espi is far superior at SS, and you don't lose anything with Lombo at 2b — and Lombo was so darn hot — I don't know. Maybe we would do better with Espi and SS and Lombo as 2b permanently.Anyone notice that Espi hits better when he plays at SS?

NatsFanJim said… Plenty of good seats available at the stadium now. If the game goes 20 innings, someone going on down now can watch a good game from some great seats! August 21, 2012 12:02 AM ________________________________________True Jim, but no amount of money will get you a beer at this time of night…What has the world come to?

True Jim, but no amount of money will get you a beer at this time of night…What has the world come to? Swift, the only things I can't get in are a woman, and a helicopter. Wait, that's the other yard. Nevermind.

Jim, I like Kimbrel better than our guys, but that's about it…The Braves pen has thrown soft stuff and a lot of strikes tonight…Nats have been over-aggressive and gotten themselves out a lotThe Nats pen throws GAS, but has too many walksLike just about everything else with these teams, they're pretty even

I read in the Post today that Johnson benched Harper that one game when he threw to the wrong base — again.Now it's time to fine the kid for breaking his bat in public afte he swings at a bad pitch.Somebody should help Harpe grow up a bit.

Stammen gets the well deserved win.We go 30 over .500.We got Lucky.Both teams could have won the game much earlier.This is a Magical Year that might not get repeated for a generation. Let's enjoy this.

Wow! Just WOW! What an ending to a very weird game.I gotta get some Zzzz ….I'll be in sec.311 tomorrow night.(tonight).Yeah, right, I'm gonna fall asleep quickly. Not! Bartender! Irish Coffee decaf. Just Jamison's and coffee. No fu-fu stuff.